Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Wind effect is extremely variable

Cloudy tonight with moderate southwest winds and a trace to a few cm of new snow. Alpine temps around -20. Cloudy with moderate winds and a chance of light snow on Saturday. Cloudy with a chance of light snow on Sunday. Winds becoming strong northerly on Monday and Alpine temperatures should drop back down to -25 under clear skies.

A few size 1.0-2.0 natural avalanches were reported from the north of the region on various aspects in the alpine. There was also a report of an older avalanche that was size 2.5 40 cm deep and 100 metres across that may have released on a thin sun crust that formed at the end of November, this slide was on a southeast aspect in the alpine.

In most areas there is 30-50 cm of recent storm snow that has stayed unconsolidated except where it has been transported into wind slabs. The surface snow has been facetting due to the cold temperatures, and some surface hoar has been developing in isolated areas. The mid-pack has been reported to be well settled above above a crust that was buried in mid-november. This crust may be buried less than a metre to close to 2 metres deep, depending on elevation and previous exposure to winds. Snowpack tests on the crust have shown variable results from sudden and planar to no result. Professionals continue to monitor this crust and are watching for facet development above and below that may increase reactivity. The basal layers of the snowpack continue to be reported to be moist in some of the deeper snowpack areas of the region.